Main » North Korea releases photos it claims are of latest missile test

North Korea releases photos it claims are of latest missile test

17 September 2017

The launch followed the North's sixth and most powerful nuclear test earlier this month.

And what have the US and its allies achieved?

Mattis told reporters on his way to Mexico that as a result of the North Korean missile test, tens of millions of Japanese people were seen going into duck and cover, which was the second time that they've had to do that since World War II. He said at Joint Base Andrews near Washington that North Korea "has once again shown its utter contempt for its neighbors and for the entire world community".

Diplomacy on the North Korean nuclear standoff has been stalled for years.

US President Donald Trump has scheduled talks with leaders of Japan and South Korea to address the crisis.

Donald Trump let loose on Twitter Sunday with a shoot-from-the-hip volley of posts referring to North Korea's leader Kim Jong-Un as "Rocket Man" - and picturing himself taking out Hillary Clinton with a golf ball. Only now, the threat is heightened. The remarks also came after H R McMaster, the US' National Security Adviser, reaffirmed that the Trump administration has military options in place for dealing with North Korea.

"I believe it will further North Korea's isolation - diplomatic and economic isolation - because more and more nations are realising there's simply no collaboration with the worldwide community".

North Korea yesterday fired an intermediate range ballistic missile over Japan and into the Pacific Ocean.

Kim had told his top officials that the goal of Pyongyang's efforts "is to establish the equilibrium of real force with the USA and make the U.S. rulers dare not talk about military option", according to the nation's state media.

"For those who have said and have been commenting about the lack of a military option, there is a military option", he insisted. "Now it's not what we prefer to do". It was the country's longest-ever test flight of a ballistic missile.

Global equities investors largely shrugged off the latest missile test by North Korea as shares on Wall Street set new highs on Friday.

Trump also tweeted about the phone call.

Following Friday's missile launch, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said in a statement, "These continued provocations only deepen North Korea's diplomatic and economic isolation ..."

Lisa Collins, a fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said other nations will be watching the United States at the U.N. next week to determine Trump's next steps.

"Honestly, I think the United States should be doing. much more than now, so that there's real effective worldwide cooperation on this issue", China's ambassador to the United States, Cui Tiankai, said on Friday. "Hopefully there will be coordination with allies on their policy lines before he adds anything to the speech about North Korea".